September complete mag

Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month: be bold, go gold
Imagine having to tell someone that they
have cancer, and that they may or may
not recover. It would be difficult, heartwrenching
and you’d know that your words
would change that person’s life forever.
Now imagine that person is only a child,
who may not even have reached an age
yet where they can read or write, let alone
comprehend the larger concepts of their
short-lived life, and potential death. Or a
young person who’s excited because they
have their entire life ahead of them. It’s
not an enviable position to be in and yet,
that’s the reality for some UK healthcare
professionals as 12 children and young
people receive a cancer diagnosis every
day. And of those 12 diagnosed, two will
not survive.
Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month, where cancer charities, health
services and children’s hospitals join
together to highlight the impact that cancer
has on children, young people and their
families. It was founded by former US
President, Barack Obama, in 2010 and is
designed to raise awareness and money
to fund support programmes and research
into children’s cancers such as leukaemia,
neuroblastoma, lymphoma, brain and
spinal tumours, and bone cancer amongst
others. The aim is to ultimately save lives
and keep families together.
Be bold, go gold
The internationally recognised symbol
for childhood cancer is a gold ribbon,
and campaigners encourage supporters
to wear their gold ribbons throughout
September to help start conversations
about childhood cancer. Most cancer
charities sell their own version of the gold
ribbon to help raise funds too.
Facts about childhood cancer
Although childhood cancer is rare,
accounting for 0.5% of all cancers in the
UK, there are still around 1,900 cases
diagnosed every year in children aged up
to 14 years, equating to about one child in
every 500. Leukaemia is the most common
form, and cancer is more prevalent in
boys than girls, but the actual rates vary
by tumour type. Incidence rates increased
by 38% between 1966 and the year
2000, thought to be related to diagnostic
improvements and data colllection
methods although the UK has one of the
lowest childhood cancer rates in Europe,
though the reason for this is not clear.
One thing that is clear, is the devastation
that a diagnosis of cancer can have on
families. It can disturb a child’s growth and
development and place additional stress
on family and friends as parents have to
make difficult decisions about their child’s
therapy and medications, and watch
their little ones undertake a gruelling
treatment regime. Cancer can have a
negative impact on the child’s behaviour
and their mental wellbeing too, and just
when they should be seeing their children
run free in the park or play blissfully with
their friends, they instead, have to see the
suffering that the disease, and sometimes
the treatments, bring. And if the child
ultimately does not survive, then the grief
is often inconsolable.
That’s where the cancer charities can step
in and ease the burden to become, not
only a ‘shoulder to cry on’, but somewhere
to turn for information, advice and support
when the rest of the world can seem like a
dark and unforgiving place.
One positive thing about childhood
cancers is that some forms are mainly
or only exclusively seen in children, and
children can be much more resilient to
treatments and the disease itself than
adults, meaning that there are many cases
where children recover completely and
grow up to lead normal, healthy lives. You
can read some of these stories on many
of the cancer charities’ websites since they
help to put a personal face on the statistics
and also give hope to others facing similar
situations.
Cancer and Covid-19
The pandemic that is currently sweeping
the world has also affected cancer care:
1. It is thought that there are
many cancers that are currently
undiagnosed due to people
either not going to their doctors
during the pandemic, or delays to
diagnostic assessments. Healthcare
professionals are urging people to
come forward as soon as possible
and not to delay treatments which
could have a negative effect on
survival rates.
2. Patients who are currently being
treated with anti-cancer drugs will find
themselves in a high-risk group due
to compromised immunity, so may
be facing months of social isolation,
affecting their mental health further.
3. Cancer charities have seen their
incomes greatly reduced due to
lockdown as well as the closing of
many of their shops, and the social
isolation of many of their employees
and volunteers. This affects their ability
to continue research and help patients.
We all know someone who has been
affected by cancer, such is the prevalence
of the problem, and the need to raise
awareness of these issues at this time
has never been greater, so Childhood
Cancer Awareness Month needs to be on
everyone’s calendar in some way.
Childhood cancer charities
There are many childhood cancer charities
that need support right now; below is just
a small list of those aimed primarily at
helping children:
• Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia
Group
• Children’s Cancer Research Fund
• Children with Cancer
• Make a Wish Foundation
• Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
• CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children
These are just a few and you might find
some more local charities in your own
area set up in the memory of local children
who may need your help. For a list of other
relevant charities for children with cancer,
click here.
Ideas for marking the month in
your setting
1. Wear a gold ribbon to show your
support
2. Visit some charity websites – there are
many which have free resources and
fundraising packs to download and
use
3. Share your support on your social
media sites
4. Write to your local MP asking for more
funds for charities at this time
5. Send a card to the local children’s
hospital/hospice thanking them for
what they do
6. Raise some money for a national or
local charity of your choice
7. Organise a donation of clothes and
bric-a-brac and deliver it to your local
charity shop
8. Support your local cancer charity shop
by purchasing something from them
We’d love to hear what you’ve decided to
do, so send us your pictures and stories to
hello@parenta.com.
12 September 2020 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2020 13